Air Fryer Eggplant

Preparing Air Fryer Eggplant is much easier than you might think! This often-overlooked vegetable, paired with the right seasonings, will be a welcome addition to your side dish rotation. 

recipe overview

Eggplant is a really versatile vegetable, as it doesn’t have a strong flavor and will absorb the flavors that you add to it. 

This recipe is garlicy, herby, and a little bit smoky with the addition of carefully selected herbs and spices. Air fryer eggplant will go well with meat main dishes like grilled chicken or barbecue ribs. 

Eggplant is also an excellent meat substitute for vegetarian or vegan diets. 

Many Eggplant recipes are breaded, but this is a nonbreaded eggplant recipe! You may be interested in our Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan recipe if you want a breaded eggplant. Or maybe some Crispy Air Fryer Eggplant.

list of ingredietns

• Oil – We add oil to the eggplant so that it will crisp a bit in the air fryer and to keep it from sticking. Eggplant doesn’t have much moisture on its own. 
• Oregano – a strong flavored herb that goes well with most vegetables. 
• Parsley – a fresh-tasting herb that I love in everything. 
• Basil – the last herb in this mix smells so good while it’s cooking. 
• Smoked Paprika – If you ever want your food to have a smoky taste without actually smoking it, the addition of smoked paprika will do the job. 
• Garlic powder – Yum! Garlic powder is added to most of my vegetable side dishes in the air fryer. 

how to choose an eggplant

Pick an eggplant that is about 8-10 inches long and is smooth and shiny. A good eggplant should feel heavy for its size.

how to make it

1. Wash the eggplant and dice it into one-inch pieces.
2. Put eggplant pieces into a bowl. Add the herbs, spices, and oil. Stir well to combine.
3. Place the eggplant into the air fryer basket or tray.
4. Air Fry the eggplant at 380F/193C for 15 minutes. Shake or stir halfway through the cooking time. Enjoy!

what to serve with eggplant

Eggplant is a very versatile side dish and will go well with almost anything. The herbs and spices used here would make this a great side dish for a meaty meal like Air Fryer Steak or Air Fryer Porkchops.

Eggplant also tends to be featured in Italian food. So try this dish with Air Fryer Meatballs, either as a substitute for, or in addition to the spaghetti.

storing & Reheating leftovers

Pop any leftovers in the fridge and eat within three days. I like to add cold leftover eggplant to salads.

You can reheat in your air fryer at 350 for 5 minutes or so.

is eggplant healthy?

Eggplant can absolutely be a healthy dish! This recipe calls for a very small amount of oil, and you could even reduce it a bit if you’re concerned about fat.

This eggplant recipe also doesn’t have any breading on it, so it’s low-carb.

Do I need to peel the eggplant?

For this eggplant recipe, you don’t need to peel the eggplant. I actually think that the texture of the skin is really nice.

However, if your eggplant is very large or the skin seems tough, it’s absolutely find to remove the skin. Some of you might even prefer skinless eggplant, and that’s ok! Removing the skin won’t change this recipe at all.